The Norwegian Nuclear Commission has recommended that nuclear power development is currently not needed but could contribute to meeting increased energy demand after 2050. in the country at this stage, but says it should prepare for its possible future use. The commission was appointed by the government in June 2024 to review the possible future establishment of nuclear power in Norway.
The Commission’s report said it “finds no specific socio-economic justifications for state aid for nuclear power, such as security of supply or the climate targets”. Nuclear power “can make only a minor contribution to meeting the 2050 climate targets and must primarily be seen as a solution to meet increased energy demand after 2050”. It concludes that, given current cost projections and market prices, nuclear power is not economically profitable in Norway.
“Due to the high fixed costs associated with establishing a disposal facility, as well as the extensive governmental apparatus that must be built up, it would become disproportionately expensive to develop ‘a small amount’ of nuclear power in a country,” it states. “Looking ahead to 2050, Norway has good alternatives that are either established or under development, and as things stand, a political decision to introduce nuclear power now could delay investments in other generation capacity, which would be able to come online sooner. Due to its hydropower, the Norwegian power system is not dependent on the system characteristics of nuclear power.”
Nuclear power in Norway was previously examined by a public committee in 1978 and the Commission – chaired by Kristin Halvorsen, former director of the Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo (Cicero) – was tasked to examine several key issues. These included: whether nuclear power is suitable for the Norwegian power system; the status of research and technology development; costs and other significant consequences for governments and private actors; land and environmental impacts; waste issues; nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation; and preparedness and competence needs.
Its report has now been submitted to Norway’s Minister of Energy, Terje Aasland. “The Nuclear Commission has done thorough work, and this report provides a good basis for a knowledge- and fact-based discussion about nuclear power,” he said. “The need for an updated knowledge base about nuclear power was an important reason for the appointment of the Nuclear Commission. The committee has now submitted a comprehensive and thorough report.” The report will now be sent for consultation with a deadline of 8 October. The government will then consider the further process.
According to the report: “It will take at least 20 years to establish nuclear power production in Norway. For a newcomer country, as Norway would be, comprehensively developing the necessary regulations, clarifying the allocation of responsibilities between authorities and establishing the necessary infrastructure is an extensive and long-term process … A political decision on the introduction of nuclear power in Norway must be based on assessments of and trade-offs between a range of considerations and a firmly anchored democratic process. Economic, technological and ethical aspects must be included in the assessment, not least in light of the long-term commitment that the establishment of nuclear power involves.”
The Commission recommended that a national competence project be established “to enable a faster introduction of nuclear power should this become relevant in the future”. In future, the cost situation and the trade-offs between costs, the environment, land use, safety and other values may change. “A national competence project spanning relevant ministries, agencies and sectors could lay the groundwork for and shorten any future process.” The Commission proposes that a limited but targeted academic environment in nuclear power technology should be established at Norwegian universities and conditions improved for participation in international research programmes.
To date, ten notifications with proposals for an exploratory programme for the establishment of nuclear power in Norway have so far been submitted. In February, the Norwegian government took a formal step toward evaluating nuclear energy by establishing the official environmental impact assessment (EIA) programme for a proposed NPP at Taftøy Næringspark (Taftøy Business Park). The programme was established by the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Health and Care Services, and the Ministry of Climate and Environment.
It defined the mandatory scope and requirements for investigating the impacts of a facility proposed by Norsk Kjernekraft for the Taftøy Næringspark, located on the border of Aure and Heim municipalities in Trøndelag county. The plant is planned to consist of several small modular reactors, which together will produce around 12.5 TWh of electricity annually, if the plant is realised in its entirety. The government has stated that it will await the assessments from the Nuclear Commission before taking a position on the processing of the other notifications.
